TOKYO: Multiple cases of damage and injuries have been reported after strong earthquakes rocked Japan's western coast on Monday amidst the country's New Year celebrations, triggering tsunami warnings and evacuation orders in several prefectures, reported Xinhua.
The series of strong earthquakes with major ones of up to a preliminary 7.6 magnitude have been hitting a wide area on the Sea of Japan coast in central Japan since Monday afternoon, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
According to the JMA, among the quakes, the major temblor occurred at 4:10 pm local time (0710 GMT) at a shallow depth, registering a maximum of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture. The JMA has officially named it the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.
There were six cases of people being buried alive after houses collapsed, reported in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, where a large-scale fire also broke out following the quake, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told an emergency press conference.
Hayashi noted that a fire broke out in a transformer at the Hokuriku Electric Power Company's Shika nuclear power station in Ishikawa Prefecture, adding that the fire had been extinguished and there was no impact on the nuclear power plant, following his earlier statement that no damage had been detected at nuclear power plants after the massive earthquake.
According to local authorities, two women were taken to hospitals after falling or being hit by falling objects in Awara, Fukui prefecture. A woman in her 80s in Itoigawa, Niigata prefecture, fell while evacuating and suffered a head injury.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged relevant ministries and agencies to assess the earthquake damage as soon as possible, ensure the safety of the public, rescue any victims, and provide appropriate information to the public.
Ishikawa Governor Hiroshi Hase has asked the Self-Defence Forces to send members on a disaster relief mission, Hayashi said.
Latest local media reports showed that multiple cases of mudslides as well as road collapses have been reported in several cities including Niigata.
Multiple roads and houses in Ishikawa Prefecture were damaged following the strong quakes, and many houses collapsed in the Noto region and Hakui city in the prefecture, with approximately 32,500 homes losing power.
In Ishikawa's Kanazawa city, video footage taken by passengers showed rocking temblors experienced on a local train platform and train coaches.
The torii gate of a shrine in Kanazawa collapsed due to the earthquakes, with no injuries reported in the surrounding area, according to the national news agency Kyodo.
On Monday, All Nippon Airways announced that a total of 16 flights departing from and arriving at Shonai, Niigata, Noto, and Komatsu airports on the day would be canceled due to the earthquakes, affecting about 1,450 people.
Japan Airlines also cancelled a total of nine flights departing from and arriving at Niigata and Komatsu airports. Approximately 730 people were affected.
East Japan Railway Company suspended all Shinkansen services on the Joetsu and Hokuriku lines throughout Ishikawa Prefecture. There is currently no prospect for resumption of operations, according to sources.
Earlier in the day, the JMA issued tsunami warnings for a broad swath of the western coast, including Ishikawa, Fukui, Niigata, Toyama, Yamagata, and other prefectures, following the strong earthquakes, including a major tsunami warning issued for Ishikawa prefecture.
It was the first time a major tsunami warning was issued since the 2011 earthquake in northeastern Japan. A major tsunami warning is issued when a tsunami of 3 metres or more is expected.
Ishikawa, where the epicentre of the major quake was located, observed tsunami waves of more than 1.2 metres at 4:21 pm local time. Toyama Prefecture reported tsunami waves of 50 centimetres at 4:23 pm local time, local media reports said.
Torrents of water could reach as high as 5 metres and authorities had urged people to flee to high land or a top of a nearby building as quickly as possible, according to the public broadcaster NHK.
Central Japan may experience earthquakes with maximum intensity on its seven-tier scale system in the coming week, the JMA said during a briefing Monday afternoon, urging people in the area to stay vigilant for possible strong tremors.
--BERNAMA-XINHUA
Bernama
Tue Jan 02 2024
Multiple cases of damage and injuries have been reported after strong earthquakes rocked Japan's western coast on Monday. Photo - (Kyodo News via AP)
AWANI 7:45 [28/04/2024] – Malaysia tumpu pelaburan baharu | Pertumbuhan saksama dan inklusif | Kajian pertubuhan buruh antarabangsa | Tabung Haji teruskan bantuan
Laporan berita padat dan ringkas #AWANI745 bersama Dzulfitri Yusof
Tumpuan #AWANI745 malam ini:
- Malaysia hadapi cabaran baharu dari negara maju, bidang teknologi, tegas PM
- Ekonomi dunia kian tidak seimbang, Tengku Zafrul di pentas forum desak negara maju lebih adil dan saksama
- 70 peratus pekerja dunia terdedah kepada penyakit akibat perubahan iklim
- Tabung Haji tanggung kos lebih RM350 juta tahun ini
Tumpuan #AWANI745 malam ini:
- Malaysia hadapi cabaran baharu dari negara maju, bidang teknologi, tegas PM
- Ekonomi dunia kian tidak seimbang, Tengku Zafrul di pentas forum desak negara maju lebih adil dan saksama
- 70 peratus pekerja dunia terdedah kepada penyakit akibat perubahan iklim
- Tabung Haji tanggung kos lebih RM350 juta tahun ini
Liek Hou rangkul dua lagi emas di Sepanyol
Jaguh badminton para negara Cheah Liek Hou terus cemerlang apabila menggondol dua pingat emas pada Kejohanan Badminton Para Sepanyol Antarabangsa II 2024 pada Sabtu.
Rakyat Malaysia di Jordan jadi duta produk PMKS negara - Ewon
Datuk Ewon Benedick menyarankan rakyat Malaysia yang menetap di Jordan supaya memainkan peranan sebagai "duta" untuk mempromosikan produk PMKS dan koperasi negara.
Fokus Minggu Depan: Solidariti Gaza Merentasi Bangsa dan Agama
Break The Siege: Fokus Minggu Depan membincangkan topik Solidariti Gaza Merentasi Bangsa dan Agama susulan penangguhan misi penghantaran bantuan ke Gaza anjuran Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC).
Lelaki rugi lebih RM13,000 terperdaya tawaran kerja dalam talian
Seorang lelaki berputih mata apabila wangnya berjumlah RM13,460 lesap setelah menjadi mangsa penipuan tawaran kerja.
Misi ditangguh, delegasi Malaysia berlepas pulang
Delegasi Malaysia dalam misi Break The Siege Freedom Flotilla To Gaza akan berlepas pulang malam ini.
Keputusan dicapai selepas Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) tidak dapat meneruskan misi selepas Republik Guinea-Bissau menarik balik kebenaran menggunakan bendera untuk dua kapal yang digunakan.
Laporan lanjut bersama Syaff Shukri di Istanbul.
Keputusan dicapai selepas Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) tidak dapat meneruskan misi selepas Republik Guinea-Bissau menarik balik kebenaran menggunakan bendera untuk dua kapal yang digunakan.
Laporan lanjut bersama Syaff Shukri di Istanbul.
Ustaz Wan sanggup bina tempat main boling DIY di sekolah kampung
Ustaz Wan mempunyai minat yang sangat tinggi terhadap sukan boling dan berhasrat untuk turut mengasah bakat anak muridnya.
Mahmoud Abbas menyeru semua negara iktiraf Palestin
Presiden Palestin Mahmoud Abbas menyeru semua negara untuk mengiktiraf Palestin sebagai negara merdeka serta mengiktiraf ahli penuh Persatuan Bangsa Bangsa Bersatu (PBB). Beliau diberi peluang berucap di Mesyuarat Khas Forum Ekonomi Dunia (WEF) di Arab Saudi hari ini.
Mesyuarat Khas WEF: Rangkuman hari pertama, tiga kayu ukur ekonomi perlu ada
Jurang pemulihan ekonomi menjadi modal mula mesyuarat khas World Economic Forum di Riyadh.
Bagi Malaysia, kelebihan asean di ketengahkan, manakala negara maju mahu keadaan ekonomi yang lebih sekata.
Persoalan besar adalah bagaimana titik keseimbangan dapat dicapai?
Najib Aroff bawakan laporan.
Bagi Malaysia, kelebihan asean di ketengahkan, manakala negara maju mahu keadaan ekonomi yang lebih sekata.
Persoalan besar adalah bagaimana titik keseimbangan dapat dicapai?
Najib Aroff bawakan laporan.
SPRM mohon maklumat dari Jerman berhubung dana 1MDB disyaki beli kereta mewah
Ia berhubung laporan kereta mewah dirampas oleh pihak berkuasa Jerman di Munich yang dipercayai berkait dengan kes 1MDB.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Britain buka permohonan visa kepada warga Hong Kong
Selepas menetap lima tahun, mereka juga dibolehkan untuk memohon kewarganegaraan.
Dream of maiden Olympic gold put on hold
When one looks back on this year, it is inevitable that the main topic of discussion will be the COVID-19 pandemic.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
AirAsia Japan tutup operasi serta-merta
Penutupan itu susulan impak besar COVID-19 serta larangan perjalanan yang menjejaskan permintaan penerbangan.
AirAsia Japan: AirAsia Group kaji pilihan mengenai operasinya di Jepun, kata Fernandes
Tan Sri Tony Fernandes berkata syarikat penerbangan tambang rendah itu terbuka untuk mengkaji semua pilihan membabitkan operasi di Jepun.
Ibu lawat teman lelaki, anak ditinggalkan mati kelaparan
Suspek dipercayai meninggalkan anaknya selama lebih seminggu untuk bertemu teman lelaki yang berada kira-kira 965 km di wilayah Kagoshima.
COVID-19: Tak boleh jerit naik roller coaster, 'hantu' jaga jarak sosial di taman tema Jepun
Dilarang menjerit ketika menaiki roller coaster, jaga jarak sosial dalam Rumah Hantu dan jangan high-five adiwira kegemaran anda.
MV Diamond Princess akan berlabuh di Port Klang, sah tiada kes COVID-19
Kapal persiaran MV Diamond Princesskini dalam perjalanan ke Malaysia untuk menambah stok barangan dan mengisi minyak.
COVID-19: Ratusan ribu bunga dicantas, elak orang ramai berkunjung ke taman
Walaupun Festival Tulip Sakura tahun ini dibatalkan, namun orang ramai masih mengunjungi lokasi tersebut untuk menikmati pemandangan cantik bunga-bunga di situ.